Crazy Challenge Connection - Let's Build a House! - Finished

Let's Build a House! hosted by Crazy Challenge Connection on Goodreads.

I have now finished this challenge, it has been fun building a house with books.

All posts for this challenge are HERE.

My Goodreads post.

✔ 1. SITE PREP: The first step in building a new house is to grade and prepare the site. The site-preparation crew typically arrives on the site with a backhoe and/or bulldozer. The crew's job is to clear the site of any trees, rocks and debris, level the site if necessary and dig as necessary for the foundation being built.   Read book #1 in a series OR a book in which a character has to clear away debris of some sort OR a book with an arid desert on the cover. (Post the book cover!): 
 Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews (Innkeeper Chronicles #1)

✔ 2. FOUNDATION: No house will last without a good foundation! Slabs, basements and crawl spaces are the three main foundation systems used on houses. In wet and coastal areas, it is sometimes common to put houses up on posts as well.
Read a book with a swamp or bog on the cover (post the book cover!) OR book #2 in a series OR an author’s first published book: 
A Highland Home by Cali MacKay (Contemporary Highland Romance #2)

✔ 3. FRAMING: Framing makes it start to look like a house. The framing crew is the next group of people on the site. They start by building the floor. The framing crew next starts on the walls. Walls are assembled on the floor and then raised into place.
Read a book in which a character works in a “blue-collar” job OR book #3 in a series OR a book by an author whose first OR last initial can be found in the word FRAMING: 
 A Highland Heist by Cali MacKay (Contemporary Highland Romance #3)

✔ 4. WINDOWS & DOORS: Installation of windows and doors comes next, and the last step to completely enclose the structure is the roof. Most houses use standard asphalt shingles for the roof. The first step is to cover the roof with building paper, commonly called tar paper, then the shingles then go on very quickly.
Read a book with a window or door on the cover (post the book cover!) OR a book that is more than 150 but less than 200 pages long OR book #4 in a series:  
Baehrly Breathing by Elizabeth A. Reeves (157 pages)


✔ 5. SIDING: Siding goes on next. When this step is complete, the house is "dried in," meaning that it is completely protected from rain. Now interior work can begin.
Read a book with some form of weather in the title or on the cover (post the book cover!) OR book #5 in a series OR a book whose primary cover is a pastel color (post the book cover!):  
It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet by James Herriot

 

 

✔ 6. ROUGH ELECTRICAL/PLUMBING: The first work done on the interior of the house is rough electrical and rough plumbing work. The electrician first places all of the boxes for electrical outlets, lights and switches. Then he ran wires from the fuse box to each box and between boxes. Rough plumbing involves installing all of the water lines, sewer lines and bathtubs.
Read a book with some sort of light source on the cover (post the book cover!) OR a book with a lot of explosions OR book #6 in a series: 
 My Sweet Valentine by Jill Sanders (The Pride #6)

✔ 7. INSULATION: The walls are then insulated, drywall is hung and underlayment is installed on the floors to provide a solid, level surface for carpet or vinyl floors. For tile floors, a rigid concrete wonder board may be installed.
Read a book with a character who is level-headed, even in a crisis OR book #7 in a series OR a book in which the first letter of every word in the title (ALL words count!) can be found in WONDERBOARD (minimum two-word title):  
Ever After by Kim Harrison

✔ 8. COUNTERS & CABINETS: Bathroom and kitchen counters & cabinets go in next. They are aligned on the wall and screwed into the wall studs, then countertops are screwed on top of the cabinets.
Read book #8 in a series OR a book with a “stud” in the story or on the cover (post the book cover!) OR a book in which a character works in the food industry:  
Cart Before the Horse by Bernadette Marie (Gabe owns a bar/restaurant)

✔ 9. PLUMBERS & ELECTRICIANS: Now the plumbers and electricians come back to finish their work. Sinks, toilet and faucets are installed, as well as the water heater, if that’s not already been done. Light fixtures, wall outlets, switches and cover plates are also installed. HVAC is also finished at this time, including heating and air conditioning unit, the vents and all duct work. Read a book set in the summer months (tell us when the book is set) OR the last (or most recent) book published by an author OR book #9 in a series: 
The Vintage Summer Wedding by Jenny Oliver (starts as the roses bloom, finishes later in the summer)

✔ 10. INTERIOR DOORS & TRIM: Interior doors, and trim around the doors, windows and baseboards go in at this time, and the interior walls are painted before the flooring – carpet or tile – is installed.
Read a book whose cover is at least 50% your favorite color (post the book cover!) OR book #10 in a series OR an e-book or hard cover book: 
Untouched by Robert J. Crane

✔ 11. WATER/SEWER LINES: Depending on where the house is located, it will either have a private well and septic system or it will hook up to municipal water and sewer lines. If a private well and septic tank are needed, the contractor will bring in a well-drilling subcontractor and a septic-tank subcontractor. Otherwise, the contractor will call either the municipality or a subcontractor to extend the municipal lines to the house. The plumber will hook up the water and sewer lines.
Read a book with a body of water on the cover (post the book cover!) OR a book set in a small town OR book #11 in a series.  
Champagne and Lemon Drops by Jean Oram (Blueberry Spring is called a small town in the blurb)

 
✔ 12. PUNCH LIST: Last of all, a “punch list” is created. The builder, sometimes accompanied by the buyer, inspects the house, noting any problems. All problems are tabulated on a punch list, which is then used as a checklist of things to be done before the house is complete.
Read the last book in a series OR a book with a house/cabin/apartment (must be a permanent, personal residence) on the cover (post the book cover!) OR a book in which a character must attend to picky little details.  
Every Woman For Herself by Trisha Ashley
 
 


List of books: 

1. Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews 
2. A Highland Home by Cali MacKay 
3. A Highland Heist by Cali MacKay
4. Baehrly Breathing by Elizabeth A. Reeves
5. It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet by James Herriot  
6. My Sweet Valentine by Jill Sanders
7. Ever After by Kim Harrison 
8. Cart Before the Horse by Bernadette Marie 
9. The Vintage Summer Wedding by Jenny Oliver 
10. Untouched by Robert J. Crane
11. Champagne and Lemon Drops by Jean Oram
12. Every Woman For Herself by Trisha Ashley

Every Woman For Herself by Trisha Ashley

Every Woman for Herself is a hilarious account of divorce and dating from Sunday Times besteller Trisha Ashley. Perfect for fans of Katie Fforde and Carole Matthews.
When Charlie’s husband Matt tells her that he wants a divorce she has to start from scratch. Suddenly single, broke and approaching 40 she is forced to return to her childhood home in the Yorkshire moors. 
Living with her father and eccentric siblings could be considered a challenge but soon Charlie finds her new life somewhat refreshing. Now that she’s single she’s got no need to dye her roots nor to be the perfect wife and she can return to her first love- painting.
But just as she begins to feel settled, handsome, bad-tempered actor Mace North moves in down the road and starts mixing things up for Charlie in more ways than one …From Goodreads.





I really like Trisha Ashley's books. They are contemporary romances but with a whole lot of interesting side characters. In this one it is the elderly brother and sister in particular who have always been helping around the house that are interesting. It is of course pretty predictable but it is also very cosy.

This book qualifies for:
2014 Ebook challenge
2014 Full House Reading Challenge
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
Crazy Challenge Connection - Let's Build a House
Crazy Challenge Connection: 1000 Member Celebration!
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Nothing but Reading Challenges - Spell it Out - Animal Alphabet (E-polarbear)
Crazy Challenge Connection Scrabble, anyone?
Crazy Challenge Connection Bard of Avon

Champagne and Lemon Drops by Jean Oram

One woman. Two men. One meddling small town.
Raised by her older sister in the small town of Blueberry Springs, all Beth Wilkinson wants is to create a family so big she’ll never be alone. Things are going great until her accountant fiancé, Oz, experiences a family trauma, forcing him to rethink everything from his own career to their nuptial plans—leaving Beth alone.
As Beth works to rediscover her former bold and independent self in hopes of reattracting Oz, she catches the eye of the charming new city doctor, Nash. Not only does he see her as she’d like to be seen, but he knows exactly what he wants from life—and that includes Beth.
Torn between the two men, as well as two versions of herself, Beth discovers that love and dreams are much more complicated than they seem. From Goodreads.





Pretty bad. I didn't like any of the main characters. Beth and Oz are engaged and Oz decides he needs them to have a break so he can find out who he is. Enter Dr. Nash who knows she is on the rebound but still ends up asking her to marry him. I will probably not read any more books by this author.

This book qualifies for:
2014 Ebook challenge
Color Coded Reading Challenge 2014
2014 Read Your Freebies! Reading Challenge
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
Crazy Challenge Connection - Let's Build a House
Crazy Challenge Connection: 1000 Member Celebration!
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Nothing but Reading Challenges - Spell it Out - Animal Alphabet (O-gecko)
Crazy Challenge Connection Bard of Avon

Untouched by Robert J. Crane

Still haunted by her last encounter with Wolfe and searching for her mother, Sienna Nealon must put aside her personal struggles when a new threat emerges – Aleksandr Gavrikov, a metahuman so powerful, he could destroy entire cities – and he's focused on bringing the Directorate to its knees. From Goodreads.

Another book that has been on my TBR list ever since I read the first book in this series.
Sienna Nealon, a metahuman and succubus is at the end of this book finally growing up and coming to terms with who she is and what she can do. There is a twist at the end of the book and I am looking forward to see how that continues in the next book that I already have.

This book qualifies for:
2014 Ebook challenge
2014 Read Your Freebies! Reading Challenge
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
Crazy Challenge Connection - Let's Build a House
Crazy Challenge Connection: 1000 Member Celebration!
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Nothing but Reading Challenges - Spell it Out - Animal Alphabet (U-toucan)
Crazy Challenge Connection Scrabble, anyone?
Crazy Challenge Connection Bard of Avon

The Vintage Summer Wedding by Jenny Oliver

A Vera Wang dress, the reception at a sophisticated London venue, and a guest list that reads like a society gossip column are all the ingredients of Anna Whitehall’s perfect wedding that never was…
Spending the summer uncovering hidden treasures in a vintage shop, Anna can still vividly remember both her childhood dreams; the first was that she’d become a Prima Ballerina, and dance on stage resplendent in a jewel-encrusted tutu. The second was that at her wedding she would walk down the aisle wearing a collective-gasp-from-the-congregation dress.
Years ago Anna pirouetted out of her cosy hometown village in a whirl of ambition…but when both of those fairy-tale dreams came crashing down around her ballet shoes, she and fiancée Seb find themselves back in Nettleton, their wedding and careers postponed indefinitely…
Don’t they say that you can never go home again? Sometimes they don’t get it right… This one summer is showing Anna that your dreams have to grow up with you. And sometimes what you think you wanted is just the opposite of what makes you happy… From Goodreads.

Okay romance. I liked Anna and her fiancé Seb. Anna has problems being back home in the village Nettleton when her dreams were something completely different. I might read more by this author.

This book qualifies for:
2014 Ebook challenge
CCC A-Z Authors 2014
CCC A-Z Book Titles 2014
Crazy Challenge Connection - Let's Build a House
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Nothing but Reading Challenges - Spell it Out - Animal Alphabet (V-raven)
Crazy Challenge Connection Bard of Avon

Cart Before the Horse by Bernadette Marie

Gabriel Maguire thought he'd buried his past until the night he met Holly, only to lose the woman he cared about, again.
Holly Jacobs has always put the cart before the horse. A prodigy who shot to stardom in textile design, she never knew a normal life—and there's nothing she longs for more than to be normal.
Pregnant before she even knows the name of her baby's father, Holly has put the cart miles ahead of the horse this time. But when she and Gabe meet for the second time, they decide to have their baby together. Holly finally begins to accept her unique way of doing everything backward, but Gabe's very normality drives her up the walls. Then his tragic past rears up; pain and loss threaten to destroy forever the fragile bond that has blossomed between him and Holly.
Sometimes the only way to get where you need to be is to put the cart before the horse. From Goodreads.




Cute romance, of course very predictable but also emotional with loss of loved ones.
I might read more of Bernadette Marie's books.

This book qualifies for:
2014 Ebook challenge
2014 Read Your Freebies! Reading Challenge
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
Crazy Challenge Connection - Let's Build a House
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Nothing but Reading Challenges - Spell it Out - Animal Alphabet (C-toucan)
Crazy Challenge Connection Monopoly
Crazy Challenge Connection Bard of Avon

Ever After by Kim Harrison

New York Times bestselling author Kim Harrison returns to the Hollows with the electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed Ever After!
The ever-after, the demonic realm that parallels our own, is shrinking, and if it disappears, so does all magic. It's up to witch-turned-daywalking-demon Rachel Morgan to fix the ever-after before the fragile balance between magic users and humans falls apart.
Of course, there's also the small fact that Rachel is the one who caused the ley line to rip in the first place, and her life is forfeit unless she can fix it. Not to mention the most powerful demon in the ever-after—the soul-eater Ku'Sox Sha-Ku'ru—has vowed to destroy her, and has kidnapped her friend and her goddaughter as leverage. If Rachel doesn't give herself up, they will die.
Forced by circumstance, Rachel teams up with elven tycoon Trent Kalamack—a partnership fraught with dangers of the heart as well as betrayal of the soul—to return to the ever-after and rescue those she loves. One world teeters on the brink of interspecies war, the other on the brink of its very demise—and it's up to Rachel to keep them both from being destroyed.  From Goodreads.

I am really into this series by Kim Harrison. I like both Rachel and her sidekicks Jenks and Ivy. Ivy is not in this one a lot but instead, Trent the elf, is a main character. They have known each other most of their lives but have not always seen eye to eye.
I like this series so much that I will now buy the next book in the series as it is not available in any library in Denmark.

This book qualifies for:
I Love Library Books Reading Challenge 2014
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
Crazy Challenge Connection Chinese New Year Challenge
Sequel Spring Reading Challenge
Crazy Challenge Connection - Let's Build a House
Crazy Challenge Connection: 1000 Member Celebration!
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Crazy Challenge Connection - Sub-Genre Challenge 2014
Nothing but Reading Challenges - Spell it Out - Animal Alphabet (E-kestrel)
Crazy Challenge Connection Bard of Avon

My Sweet Valentine by Jill Sanders

Sara Lander was back in town. She had big plans for her inheritance along with her freshly printed business degree and years of experience in some of Seattle’s finest bakeries, she has a rich idea for Pride. Sara's Nook is going to be the next biggest thing to hit town. All she needs now is to steer clear of the hunky ex-Navy SEAL who is hell bent on taking all her focus away from starting her own business.
Allen Masters has been living in Pride for several years. Setting up a new branch of the Coastguard and training all the new recruits took years of skill and all his patience. But when he sees the black-haired beauty, who had come back into town, he realized she was the one he'd been searching for. Taking one taste of her sweets, he knew he'd be in for a sinful time, but losing his focus while flying into the eye of a storm was the last thing he could afford. From Goodreads.





An okay romance. It starts very fast as they meet and that is it. There are never any doubts about their relationship. The suspense in the book is about who is stalking her and attempts to kill her.

This book qualifies for:
2014 Ebook challenge
Crazy Challenge Connection - Let's Build a House
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
Crazy Challenge Connection: 1000 Member Celebration!
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Nothing but Reading Challenges - Spell it Out - Animal Alphabet (L-jellyfish)
Nothing but Reading Challenges - 50 States Challenge
Crazy Challenge Connection Bard of Avon

It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet by James Herriot

How on earth did James Herriot come to be sitting on a high Yorkshire moor, smelling vaguely of cows? James isn't sure, but he knows that he loves it. This second hilarious volume of memoirs contains more tales of James' unpredictable boss Siegfried Farnon, his charming student brother Tristan, animal mayhem galore and his first encounters with a beautiful girl called Helen. 'He can tell a good story against himself, and his pleasure in the beauty of the countryside in which he works is infectious' - "Daily Telegraph". 'Full of warmth, wisdom and wit' - "The Field". 'It is a pleasure to be in James Herriot's company' - "Observer". From Goodreads.

This is a very humorous book. I remember watching All Creatures Great and Small - the TV-series adapted from the books James Herriot ( pen name for James Alfred Wight).
It was very clearly not an easy job but the stories he tells make it seem worth all the trouble.
I thoroughly enjoyed it and might read more in this series at a later date.

This book qualifies for:
2014 Ebook challenge
Read Scotland 2014
2014 Full House Reading Challenge
2014 TBR Pile Reading Challenge
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
The Challenge Factory Spell It Out - Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
Romance Readers Reading Challenges: Yahtzee Challenge
Crazy Challenge Connection - Let's Build a House
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Setting Alphabet Reading Challenge
Nothing but Reading Challenges - Spell it Out - Animal Alphabet (I-quail)
CCC-Read your age
Crazy Challenge Connection Bard of Avon
Crazy Challenge Connection 2014 RaT #5

Baehrly Breathing by Elizabeth A. Reeves

The first book in the Goldie Locke and the Were Bears series.
It's difficult to be taken seriously when you are a member of the Magical community and saddled with the unfortunate name 'Goldie Locke'. It certainly doesn't help if you are also about five feet tall, blond, and most commonly described as 'cute.'. What was a girl to do?
Become one of the most dreaded Magical environmental lawyers of all time?
Goldie isn't there yet, but she's well on her way when a case drags her into uncharted territory-- working with Ordinary officials to figure out why 'unusual' remains are being discovered all around New England.
With her hands full and a new dragon on the way, Goldie's hunches about this case may prove to be all-too true-- this stuff is bad business! From Goodreads



I liked the Cindy Eller series and I needed to read this series before I could read How (Not) to Kiss a Were Bear.
Like Elizabeth A. Reeves' other series this is a short cute story. It is scarier and darker but full of very cute and weird magical animals

This book qualifies for:
2014 Ebook challenge
2014 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
Crazy Challenge Connection - Let's Build a House
Paranormal Addicts & Newbies - Paranormal Creatures Seasonal Challenge
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Nothing but Reading Challenges - Spell it Out - Animal Alphabet (E-eagle)
Crazy Challenge Connection Monopoly
Crazy Challenge Connection Bard of Avon

A Highland Heist by Cali MacKay

Feisty and fiery security expert, Maggie Brennan, is thrilled when she lands the job to design the security system for the Highlander’s Hope. At the top of her field, she usually prefers to work alone, but when the owner of the priceless jewels insists she work with his computer security expert, Conall Stewart, she doesn’t mind it as much as she thought she would. Not when Conall is damn smart and smoking hot, despite his gruff and grumpy exterior. Maggie loves a challenge, and she’s sure Conall could be a whole lot of fun if he just loosened up a little.
The last thing Conall wants is to deal with Maggie, especially when she pushes all his buttons with her perky and highly caffeinated demeanor. All he wants is to be left alone, but the woman is distractingly gorgeous, brilliant and funny. Before he even has a chance to shore up his defenses, she’s managed to weasel her way into his heart, despite him having sworn off any type of relationship.
Yet outside forces are playing dirty, and there’s suddenly more on the line than the Highlander’s Hope and a love they never thought they’d find. From Goodreads.

The third book in the Contemporary Highland Romance series. It is still romance mixed with crime and quite predictable which is okay.  In her books she introduces a friend of the protagonist who is then the protagonist of her next book. 

This book qualifies for:
2014 Ebook challenge
Read Scotland 2014
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
Sequel Spring Reading Challenge
Crazy Challenge Connection - Let's Build a House
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Nothing but Reading Challenges - Spell it Out - Animal Alphabet (B-polarbear)
Crazy Challenge Connection Bard of Avon 

A Highland Home by Cali MacKay

Rowan Campbell is desperate for answers. She’s lived her life without knowing a thing about her father, her mother refusing to speak of him, even on her deathbed. With her cheating fiancé gone and no one else in her life, Rowan moves to her mother’s hometown in Scotland, determined to find the father she’s never known.
When Angus Macleod agrees to help a family friend move to Scotland from the States, the last thing he expects is to fall hard for the fiery redhead, who makes him rethink his bachelor ways. Looking for any excuse to spend time with Rowan, he’s more than happy to help her find her father, even if she’s skittish about committing to anything serious. But when Angus discovers Rowan’s mother left Scotland pregnant and terrified, he wonders how dangerous Rowan’s quest might be. Before long, Angus finds himself hindering rather than helping, despite knowing his actions could ruin any chance he has for happiness.
With Rowan closing in on her father’s identity, will Angus be able to keep her from harm? And will she ever forgive him for standing in her way? From Goodreads

Cali MacKay mixes romance with a bit of crime in her books. I liked Angus from the first book in the series. He now has to help Rowan find out who her dad is and also who is threatening her. I enjoyed this book.

This book qualifies for:
2014 Ebook challenge
Read Scotland 2014
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
Sequel Spring Reading Challenge
Crazy Challenge Connection - Let's Build a House
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Nothing but Reading Challenges - Spell it Out - Animal Alphabet (A-narwhal)
Crazy Challenge Connection Bard of Avon

Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews

On the outside, Dina Demille is the epitome of normal. She runs a quaint Victorian Bed and Breakfast in a small Texas town, owns a Shih Tzu named Beast, and is a perfect neighbor, whose biggest problem should be what to serve her guests for breakfast. But Dina is...different: Her broom is a deadly weapon; her Inn is magic and thinks for itself. Meant to be a lodging for otherworldly visitors, the only permanent guest is a retired Galactic aristocrat who can’t leave the grounds because she’s responsible for the deaths of millions and someone might shoot her on sight. Under the circumstances, "normal" is a bit of a stretch for Dina.
And now, something with wicked claws and deepwater teeth has begun to hunt at night....Feeling responsible for her neighbors, Dina decides to get involved. Before long, she has to juggle dealing with the annoyingly attractive, ex-military, new neighbor, Sean Evans—an alpha-strain werewolf—and the equally arresting cosmic vampire soldier, Arland, while trying to keep her inn and its guests safe. But the enemy she’s facing is unlike anything she’s ever encountered before. It’s smart, vicious, and lethal, and putting herself between this creature and her neighbors might just cost her everything. From goodreads.

I have to admit I really like the books by Ilona Andrews. It is the first in a new series about an innkeeper for paranormal and alien species. It is a brilliant idea and especially the close link between the inn and the innkeeper. I am looking forward to read more about Dina. And of course see how her relationships with Sean, the werewolf and Arland, the vampire pan out.  There is also quite a bit of humour which I like.
This book was written as short episodes on the authors website before being published. They are doing the same with the second book in the series but I don't have the patience to read it bit by bit, I will rather wait and read the whole novel when it is published.

This book qualifies for:
2014 Ebook challenge
2014 Quick fix Challenge (235 pages)
2014 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge
Shifter Challenge 2014
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
The Challenge Factory Spell It Out - Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (I)
Romance Readers Reading Challenges: Pass The Parcel Team Challenge
Romance Readers Reading Challenges: Yahtzee Challenge
Nothing but Reading Challenges - April Showers (Dina)
Paranormal Addicts & Newbies - Paranormal Creatures Seasonal Challenge
Crazy Challenge Connection - Let's Build a House
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Nothing but Reading Challenges - Spell it Out - Animal Alphabet (A-impala)
Nothing but Reading Challenges - 50 States Challenge
Crazy Challenge Connection Monopoly
Crazy Challenge Connection Bard of Avon

Crazy Challenge Connection - Let's Build a House!

Let's Build a House! hosted by Crazy Challenge Connection on Goodreads.

CHALLENGE RULES: :
♦ If you want to participate in a challenge, please sign up by posting at least a partial list of the challenge requirements. This gives us a post to link you to, which you can use to update your books as the challenge progresses.

♦ Unless otherwise noted, books must be at least 150 pages long. Books may only be used for one task in this challenge, but cross-challenge posting is encouraged :) Re-reads are allowed, as long as you read the entire book and not simply skim through it.

♦ For each book you read, please post a link to the title, and indicate the author and the date you finished reading it. If a challenge task gives several options, please make it clear which option you’ve chosen. If the task calls for an item on the cover, include a link to the book cover.* If it’s not obvious from the book title or cover, be sure to explain how your book fits the task. If you don’t, you won’t get credit for completing that task.
    * If you don’t know how to post a link to the book title, cover or author, see the instructions here: Add a link to the book title, book cover and/or author

♦ When you complete the challenge, please post your entire list as a new message to make it easier for everyone to see what you’ve read :) If you don’t repost your list, your name will not be added to the list of those who have completed the challenge.
                                             

STEPS MUST BE COMPLETED IN ORDER!! You can't build the walls or roof until you have a cleared site and good foundation, so you MUST complete task #1 before moving on to task #2, then complete task #2 before doing task #3, etc.

In addition, you may read no more than three books from the same series over the course of this challenge. If you choose the series option for each task, you will need to work from at least four different series in order to get credit for completing the challenge properly.

LET’S BUILD A HOUSE!
Duration: April 1 - September 30 

✔ 1. SITE PREP: The first step in building a new house is to grade and prepare the site. The site-preparation crew typically arrives on the site with a backhoe and/or bulldozer. The crew's job is to clear the site of any trees, rocks and debris, level the site if necessary and dig as necessary for the foundation being built.  
Read book #1 in a series OR a book in which a character has to clear away debris of some sort OR a book with an arid desert on the cover. (Post the book cover!): Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews (Innkeeper Chronicles #1)

✔ 2. FOUNDATION: No house will last without a good foundation! Slabs, basements and crawl spaces are the three main foundation systems used on houses. In wet and coastal areas, it is sometimes common to put houses up on posts as well.
Read a book with a swamp or bog on the cover (post the book cover!) OR book #2 in a series OR an author’s first published book: A Highland Home by Cali MacKay (Contemporary Highland Romance #2)

✔ 3. FRAMING: Framing makes it start to look like a house. The framing crew is the next group of people on the site. They start by building the floor. The framing crew next starts on the walls. Walls are assembled on the floor and then raised into place.
Read a book in which a character works in a “blue-collar” job OR book #3 in a series OR a book by an author whose first OR last initial can be found in the word FRAMING: A Highland Heist by Cali MacKay (Contemporary Highland Romance #3)

✔ 4. WINDOWS & DOORS: Installation of windows and doors comes next, and the last step to completely enclose the structure is the roof. Most houses use standard asphalt shingles for the roof. The first step is to cover the roof with building paper, commonly called tar paper, then the shingles then go on very quickly.
Read a book with a window or door on the cover (post the book cover!) OR a book that is more than 150 but less than 200 pages long OR book #4 in a series: Baehrly Breathing by Elizabeth A. Reeves (157 pages)


✔ 5. SIDING: Siding goes on next. When this step is complete, the house is "dried in," meaning that it is completely protected from rain. Now interior work can begin.
Read a book with some form of weather in the title or on the cover (post the book cover!) OR book #5 in a series OR a book whose primary cover is a pastel color (post the book cover!): It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet by James Herriot


 




✔ 6. ROUGH ELECTRICAL/PLUMBING: The first work done on the interior of the house is rough electrical and rough plumbing work. The electrician first places all of the boxes for electrical outlets, lights and switches. Then he ran wires from the fuse box to each box and between boxes. Rough plumbing involves installing all of the water lines, sewer lines and bathtubs.
Read a book with some sort of light source on the cover (post the book cover!) OR a book with a lot of explosions OR book #6 in a series: My Sweet Valentine by Jill Sanders (The Pride #6)

✔ 7. INSULATION: The walls are then insulated, drywall is hung and underlayment is installed on the floors to provide a solid, level surface for carpet or vinyl floors. For tile floors, a rigid concrete wonder board may be installed.
Read a book with a character who is level-headed, even in a crisis OR book #7 in a series OR a book in which the first letter of every word in the title (ALL words count!) can be found in WONDERBOARD (minimum two-word title):
Ever After by Kim Harrison

✔ 8. COUNTERS & CABINETS: Bathroom and kitchen counters & cabinets go in next. They are aligned on the wall and screwed into the wall studs, then countertops are screwed on top of the cabinets.
Read book #8 in a series OR a book with a “stud” in the story or on the cover (post the book cover!) OR a book in which a character works in the food industry: Cart Before the Horse by Bernadette Marie (Gabe owns a bar/restaurant)
 
✔ 9. PLUMBERS & ELECTRICIANS: Now the plumbers and electricians come back to finish their work. Sinks, toilet and faucets are installed, as well as the water heater, if that’s not already been done. Light fixtures, wall outlets, switches and cover plates are also installed. HVAC is also finished at this time, including heating and air conditioning unit, the vents and all duct work. Read a book set in the summer months (tell us when the book is set) OR the last (or most recent) book published by an author OR book #9 in a series: The Vintage Summer Wedding by Jenny Oliver (starts as the roses bloom, finishes later in the summer)

✔ 10. INTERIOR DOORS & TRIM: Interior doors, and trim around the doors, windows and baseboards go in at this time, and the interior walls are painted before the flooring – carpet or tile – is installed.
Read a book whose cover is at least 50% your favorite color (post the book cover!) OR book #10 in a series OR an e-book or hard cover book: Untouched by Robert J. Crane

✔ 11. WATER/SEWER LINES: Depending on where the house is located, it will either have a private well and septic system or it will hook up to municipal water and sewer lines. If a private well and septic tank are needed, the contractor will bring in a well-drilling subcontractor and a septic-tank subcontractor. Otherwise, the contractor will call either the municipality or a subcontractor to extend the municipal lines to the house. The plumber will hook up the water and sewer lines.
Read a book with a body of water on the cover (post the book cover!) OR a book set in a small town OR book #11 in a series. Champagne and Lemon Drops by Jean Oram (Blueberry Spring is called a small town in the blurb)

 
✔ 12. PUNCH LIST: Last of all, a “punch list” is created. The builder, sometimes accompanied by the buyer, inspects the house, noting any problems. All problems are tabulated on a punch list, which is then used as a checklist of things to be done before the house is complete.
Read the last book in a series OR a book with a house/cabin/apartment (must be a permanent, personal residence) on the cover (post the book cover!) OR a book in which a character must attend to picky little details. Every Woman For Herself by Trisha Ashley
 




This sounds interesting and I will take part. My goal is to complete the challenge before 30th of September.

List of books:

1. Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews 
2. A Highland Home by Cali MacKay 
3. A Highland Heist by Cali MacKay
4. Baehrly Breathing by Elizabeth A. Reeves
5. It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet by James Herriot  
6. My Sweet Valentine by Jill Sanders
7. Ever After by Kim Harrison 
8. Cart Before the Horse by Bernadette Marie 
9. The Vintage Summer Wedding by Jenny Oliver 
10. Untouched by Robert J. Crane
11. Champagne and Lemon Drops by Jean Oram
12. Every Woman For Herself by Trisha Ashley